Dancing Fire Lilies
by ANIMElove737
Summary: What if Katara never met the Avatar? What if she was suddenly captured by the Fire Nation and forced to be a dancer? What if, through a chain of events, she ends up with handsome Prince Zuko? Zutara Fic! Rated M for sexual references. I DO NOT OWN AVATAR!
1. Chapter 1

_**I have finally followed through with the Avatar Fanfic! Go Abbi! Anywho, I hope you like it...I'm only posting the first chapter until I get at least five reviews telling me it's okay to continue. I don't know if it's any good; it popped in my head during a chem exam...hey, I believe the main idea is I'm thinking of SOMETHING at least. Anyways, enjoy chapter one of 'Dancing Fire Lilies'. Kinda sextual, so be aware!**_

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER**_

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The soft beat of the drum pounded in my ears as I rose from my crouching position on the floor. Candles were placed on the floor around my feet to illuminate my body as I moved to the music playing in the background. My ankle-length skirt swirled around me as I spun around, then stopped abruptly, the beads at the bottom making a clicking sound. I slowly slid down into a split, my hands making circular motions in the air above my head. As soon as I was fully straddling the floor, I swung my back leg around and laid flat on my back, my skirt that was slit up to my thighs falling in between my legs. I arched my back upward, curling into a ball before snapping up quickly, my ponytail swinging at the sudden movement. Spinning around again, I jumped into the air, bending my legs at the knee and putting my arms into the air. My final move that I had practiced was to slide down to the floor onto my side and lay still as the music died down behind me.

A hushed silence fell over the crowd as I stood and bowed, then a thunderous applause followed as the other dancers came out to join me for the final dance of the night. We all stood in a line, our heads down, waiting for the music to start. Yet again, it all began with the drum, though this rhythm was a tad more erotic as each dancer moved off in a different direction, leaving me in the middle to spin around with my left leg bent at the knee and my arms raised up over my head. Once I stopped, I immediately went down into a handstand as the other dancers swirled around me. Arching forward, my feet came into contact with the floor, leaving me in a back-bend. I stood up, and as soon as I was standing straight again, my legs spread in front of me. Sliding to the floor into yet another split, I winked at no one in particular in the audience. The sound of men cheering rang through my ears as I stood again. Picking up the beat of the drums, I popped my hips and chest to the rhythm. The other dancers twirled into position, dropping to their hands and knees on cue and crawling out toward the edge of the stage. I kept popping my hips as my hands traveled the length of my body, rising into the air and clasping together above my head. I popped my hips one more time, this time having my whole body follow as I joined the other girls on the floor. Only, instead of crawling, I laid on my back facing the audience. My hair hung off the end of the stage as I looked at the now upside-down group of men. Continuing to swirl my hips on the floor, the music came to a halt, the drum slowly following suit.

We were met with another round of silence. Finally, after forever and a day, cheers erupted from the audience. I sighed and stood with my fellow dancers, taking a bow and running off the stage. Our instructor met us backstage and clapped her hands together.

"Great job, girls! Especially you, Katara. _Great_ job." She said to me, nodding her appreciation. I was happy she was proud of me, even though I didn't follow the dance steps. I waited for the other girls to leave to 'tend' to the audience, and when they were gone, I sighed with relief and pulled my hair out of its ponytail.

I'm Katara, a waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe. Now, you may ask, what is a seventeen-year-old girl from the Water Nation doing in a Fire Nation village? Better yet, what is she doing _dancing_ in the Fire Nation? Well, it's a pretty sad story, though I'm not asking for your pity, so do not feel sorry for me please. When I was a little girl and even before then, the world was at war with the Fire Nation. They believed that they were the best, and wished to share their 'wealth' with the other three nations. That didn't go over too well, and now here we are, in the middle of a war. As a result of this war, many people were being separated from their families, me included. I remember what had happened like it had happened to me yesterday, when in actuality it had been several months since.

I was goofing around with my brother outside the village walls when we saw it. Black snow. There was only one other time we had seen snow such as this: when the Fire Nation came and took my mother away from me. My brother, Sokka, grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the entrance of our small village, but before we could so much as take a step, another strong hand grabbed my other arm and forcibly yanked me away from my brother. I fell to the ground and was immediately picked back up as I was being dragged toward a ship. I looked back to find Sokka lying on the ground with scorch marks on his rump and tears rolling down his face. He cried out to me, and it was the last thing I heard before the big, iron gates shut and the ship pulled away from my home.

After this, I was brought here, and was going to be sent to the special prisons the Fire Nation created for waterbenders when one person spoke up. Through the tears in my eyes, I saw the figure of a boy about the same age as me step forward. Wiping away the water in my eyes, I quickly realized it to be the son of the Fire Lord. What tipped me off was the rather intimidating scar that lay across his left eye, though that wasn't what I was concerned with at the moment. I was wondering why the Prince of the Fire Nation was standing up for me. Through the haze that had settled in my brain, I heard snip-its of the conversation Prince Zuko was having with his father. He had said something about me only being a young girl, then something about it not being fair to me, then finally something about me dancing for him here at the palace. His father must have agreed, because through the next several months, I was named head dancer of the 'Dancing Fire Lilies'.

That pretty much puts us back to the present, where I was currently walking out into the audience. There was one person I really wished to see right now, and I was praying to the Spirits that he was out there right now. Scanning the crowd, I smiled when my eyes came upon him. His raven hair hung in his face messily, out of its topknot, just the way I liked it, and his amber eyes seemed to radiate an orange glow in the candle light. He had his arms crossed, and a light frown played on his handsome face as many girls danced around him, trying to get his attention. But I knew he didn't want any of them. He only came here as orders from his father, but that didn't mean I couldn't have some fun with him.

I walked toward him, swaying my hips to the beat of the drum that played softly on the stage. His face lit up when he saw me, and his name escaped my lips through my happiness of seeing him. "Zuko..."

"Hey, Katara." He said, a small smile seen spreading to his lips. I smiled myself, though mine was a more wicked one as I climbed into his lap and locked my hands behind his neck, tangling my fingers in the soft hair at the nape of his neck. His smile faltered a little, and he glanced behind me at the other dancers that were glaring in our direction. I peeked over his shoulder at some of the girls that were dancing behind him; they were glaring too. Perfect, time to make my move. Slowly, I began to move up and down and side to side on his lap, making him grab my hips like I knew he would. "Katara, please. I'd really like to get out of here alive tonight, and by the looks on these girls' faces, I doubt that's going to happen if you keep it up." He muttered through clenched teeth, but I didn't stop my movements. I needed something from him before he left, and he knew just what it was I wanted him to give me. Though, thanks to his stupid pride, he simply held my hips still. I wasn't giving up that easily, though. Instead, I moved my hands from his neck and slid them down his chest. I could feel his chiseled muscles through his peasant-tunic, and a shutter ran through my body unintentionally.

'_Oops..._' I thought as I glanced at his eyes. They darkened, and he smiled evilly, sending another chill through my body. He knew he was the cause of the sudden body spasms, and he was going to use that to his full advantage. Grasping my hips more roughly, he began to move them erotically, like I had before. I groaned and rested my forehead on his shoulder as I felt my underwear dampen. I could feel the other girls' eyes practically searing my skin at the treatment I was getting from the Prince, and I moaned again as I felt one of his hands slide down my side to the slit of my skirt, his fingers touching my bare skin.

His breath was warm on my neck as he whispered, "Not today, Katara. Better luck next time." His fingers brushed my thigh and I gasped, pressing my lips against his clothed shoulder to suppress the urge to scream. It wasn't like I wasn't used to this, after all, we did this all of the time, but it surprised me each and every time the way my body reacted to his touch.

Through another stifled groan, I mumbled, "Th-that's what you think..." And then, I turned my face to his neck and placed a soft, sensual kiss on the creamy-white skin. He froze and went rigid, and I smiled in victory. I won! Then again, I always win, because I always knew the one thing that drove him crazy. I moved my head from his shoulder and stared him in the eyes, icy-blue meeting amber. "Now, how about you give me what I want." I raised my perfectly-arched left eyebrow and he rolled his eyes, reaching into the pocket of his tunic and pulling out a crisp piece of paper. He folded it once and placed the money in between my teeth. I nodded my thanks and was about to get off of him, but he placed a hand on my shoulder and sat me down again.

"Wait, you forgot your change." He said and dropped two gold coins down the top of the tight belly-shirt I was wearing.

"Zuko!" I hissed as the cool metal came in contact with my warm flesh. He smiled and crossed his arms as I squirmed to get the money out without drawing attention to myself. I could feel his body shaking softly with quiet laughter as the coins fell out onto his lap. I sighed in relief and glared at him, the smile never leaving his face as he picked up the coins and placed them in the palm of my open hand that was inches away from his nose. Jerking off of him, I hit him lightly and playfully on the arm and mumbled, "Thanks, friend. Glad to know I have an effect on you."

He stood up with me and put his arm around my waist, resting it on the opposite hip. We walked out of the club together and down the hall toward the dancer's chambers. My work was done, and all I wanted to do now was sleep. As we passed one of the firebending soldier's bed chambers, I heard moaning followed by a growl come from the other side of the closed door. I shivered and leaned in closer to my friend for comfort. He rubbed up and down my side and whispered, "Katara, it's okay. I'll see to it that you're not reassigned as a concubine. Don't worry about a thing."

I nodded and pushed the thoughts from my mind as we continued our walk down the hallway.


	2. Chapter 2

**New chapter alert! Just so everybody knows, Katara and Zuko are still fire and water benders. This story is also set toward the future a little (explanation in later chapters). Zuko may seem a little out of character at times, and so may Katara, but that's just because it fit better with the story. This pairing works so well together, don't you think? Anyways, enjoy the chapter!**

**STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY**

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I woke to the sound of yelling. Jumping out of my bed and throwing a light robe on over my naked body, I opened the door to the dancer's sleeping chambers. I ran down the hallway, following the noise of the two voices shouting. I climbed the stairs to the Fire Lord's sleeping chambers, and I heard my name being shouted by a familiar voice. It was Zuko, and he was arguing with his father.

Peeping through the crack of the slightly opened door, I saw the two shouting and waving their arms in the air. I blushed when I realized Zuko was topless, wearing nothing more than a loose pair of pants, but shook off the hormones and listened in to the conversation.

"But father, Katara is too young to be a concubine! She's fragile and still needs time to heal. Need I remind you that she was kidnapped from her tribe?!" Zuko shouted, and I smiled at my friend defending me.

Yes, believe it or not, Zuko and I are only friends. Nothing more. Though it may seem like we're a couple because of the way we act, it is just a game we enjoy playing. Since we are both of competitive nature, it seems only right that we duke it out to see who can hold off the longest when it comes to hormones.

Zuko's father's sharp voice brought me out of my thoughts as he said, "The waterbender is fast approaching her eighteenth year, which means she is _required_ to become a concubine, as well as a dancer. I feel it is not fair to the other girls for her to remain simply a dancer just because you have pent up feelings for the little peasant." I cringed at the way he said the last word, and Zuko's face turned angrier.

"Don't talk about her like that! And so what if I have feelings for her? That has nothing to do with this! She's obviously disturbed by the idea, and I don't think its right to force her to do it!" I gasped and my heart pounded against my chest. Zuko had feelings for me? I couldn't help but look at him differently now, as if I actually had feelings for him too. I laughed silently at the thought, then looked up into his amber eyes. Those beautiful amber eyes that held so much emotion...so much pain...so much anger...

'_Ah! Snap out of it, Katara! He's your friend!_' The logical side of me screamed within my head.

'_Yeah, but he's also a muscular, sexy, and no doubt delicious firebender._' Came the rebuttal from 'naughty Katara' as I liked to call her.

Yet again, Zuko's father's harsh tone tore me from my feuding thoughts. "Zuko, you are not to talk back to me like that! I am the Fire Lord and what I say goes, and I say that Katara is to be a concubine by her eighteenth birthday. Is that clear?" Zuko seemed to be hushed into silence as his father stormed angrily from the room into the adjoining bathroom. I was trembling at the tone of voice Fire Lord Ozi was speaking in, and I let out a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding in until now.

I peeped through the door and saw Zuko standing there, staring after his father. He turned back so that I could see his face and I saw he was shaking with anger. He tilted his head up toward the ceiling and let out a sharp breath, then yelled at the top of his lungs, tongues of fire spilling out of his mouth and licking the ceiling and walls. The fire that cracked in the fireplace came to life and seemed to explode slightly. As Zuko's frustration died down, he dropped his head and massaged the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger before saying, "Katara, I know you're there. Come here."

As if his voice controlled my limbs, I obeyed and walked into the room, clad only in my very revealing silk robe. "Zuko, I—" I began, but Zuko put his hand up to stop me.

"Please, don't talk, just listen." I nodded and he continued. "I assume you heard the entire conversation, so I'm not going to waste too much of your time on this," He paused for a moment, looking up at me and meeting my eyes for a millisecond before turning and walking toward the fireplace. "Katara, I'm really sorry. I tried, I really did. It's just...my father isn't one to make negotiations...it's a wonder that I got him to keep you alive." I gulped at the reference and he tensed up. "Okay, that came out worse than intended. But back to the topic at hand...I'm sorry to inform you that the day after tomorrow you will be working as both a dancer and a concubine...I really am sorry..."

The tone of his voice made me want to cry, and I walked over to him. I gave him a hug around the neck. "It's alright, Zuko. You tried, and that's all that counts. I'll be fine...at least it'll be a man that I don't know and will probably never have to worry about it turning into anything more than work." Right as I said this, Fire Lord Ozi walked into the room, glanced at me, then laid his eyes upon Zuko.

"Is this the girl?" Zuko only nodded and turned away from both me and his father. I focused my gaze on the roaring fire as his father spoke. "You are far more beautiful than I had taken notice of before..." This caused both Zuko and I to turn toward him, and he continued now that he had both of our attention. "It would be a shame for you to be roughed up by one of the many soldiers that reside here..." His eyes passed over my body, and I crossed my arms over my waist, regretting wearing such little clothing. "You are also an excellent dancer, good enough to be lead dancer for the royals. You are to be eighteen soon, are you not?" I nodded and looked down, tracing an invisible pattern on the carpet with my big toe. "Hm...I think I have a solution for our little problem...Zuko," He called to his only son, and Zuko looked up at his father with rage in his eyes, "Zuko, my son, I am assigning this waterbending peasant to you as your own personal concubine. Make me proud, son." My head snapped up, and I first looked at the Fire Lord, then at Zuko.

He was shaking again with anger, and for the first time since his father had entered the room, he spoke. "You're sick! How could you do that to her? And why would you think that I'd want a concubine, anyways?! I'm not a sick bastard like you!"

Ozi's eyebrows pinched together and he frowned. "Zuko, I'm surprised. Surely you'd be glad to have a beautiful woman such as this. And, there is no higher honor than to lay with royalty." He said, turning to me. I blushed and looked down again, rubbing my arm awkwardly.

Zuko snarled and clenched his fists. "Father, you're being rude. I'm not going through with this, and neither is she!"

"Oh, you are both going through with this because I command you to do so. If I hear so much as tell that you are not doing as I say, then I will have her thrown in prison for life! Do I make myself clear?" I nodded, officially scared, and I turned to Zuko, who simply whipped his head away from his father and crossed his arms. "Good. My final word on the matter would be that I do not wish to have any illegitimate children anytime soon...my dear, are you protected?" I nodded again, looking down at the floor again. It was a requirement for all dancers, concubine or not, to be on birth control medicine, just in case. "Excellent. Now, Zuko, take her to your room so she may get comfortable. Oh, and son?" Ozi paused, and I looked up into his eyes. They shone naughtily in the fire's light. "She looks like a screamer, so make sure to close your windows."

My mouth dropped open at this as Zuko's father turned and walked from the room. I side-glanced over at Zuko, and his facial expression was the same as mine. Finally, after about an hour of just standing there with our mouths open in shock, Zuko's face turned angry again. He grasped my hand gently and took me to his sleeping chambers. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears, and 'good Katara' and 'bad Katara' came back into my mind.

'_Run away, Katara! Don't let him do it!_' 'Good Katara' shouted.

'_I say follow him. He'd never hurt you, right? Plus, he's probably a god in bed, so you've got that going for you._' 'Bad Katara' retaliated, smirking evilly.

I shook the two images from my thoughts as we entered his room. It was tidy and smelled like vanilla and jasmine, smelled like him. I had always loved the spicy-sweet combination of him, and I inhaled deeply as he sat me on his made bed. Before he went to unmake the bed, he turned to me with an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, Katara. For my father, I mean. He's cruel and unfeeling and I'm pretty sure he doesn't have a heart and—"

"Zuko, it's okay." I cut him off, standing up and walking over to him. I placed a hand on his cheek. "I'm actually glad I'm with you and not some strange man that smells of sake. I like your smell much better."

He chuckled and set to unmaking the bed. "I'd like you to know that I'm not going to do anything you're not comfortable with, okay? We can put on an act so my father doesn't find out, but I'm not going to make you doing anything until you're ready."

I smiled and laughed a little. "Yeah, it's not like we don't already put on a show for the other dancers. Why not keep the act going?" He smiled at me and went over to close the window like his father had told him. I went to the other side of the bed and pulled at the sash that held my robe together. "Katara, what are you—" He began as it slid off of my shoulders, down my hips and legs and to the floor.

"I can't sleep in clothing; it bugs me. I hope that's alright." He simply nodded and went back to locking the window as I slid under the covers of his warm bed. Soon after I felt him slide in as well, and I looked over to see him facing the opposite direction of me. Frowning, I followed his example by curling up on the end of the bed not facing him. We fell asleep like that and stayed that way for most of the night.

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**Sorry for the extremely short chapter! I promise that the next one will be longer!**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Okay, this chapter is really long...and also a little confusing...I'm really doing terrible with this story, but I still appreciate reviews! The modernization comes in the next chapter, so be prepared! Also, there is a tad bit of mature content in this chapter! You have been warned! Finally, those who love sweet Zuko will love this chapter! REVIEW, PLEAZEEEE!!!!**_

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I woke early in the morning to the spicy-sweet smell of a man lying next to me. I turned my head and found myself totally wrapped around my best friend, Zuko. He was lying on his back, one arm draped over his flat stomach and another acting as a pillow for my head. I was currently lying on my side, one of my hands resting on his toned chest and the other nestled in between us. One of my legs was wrapped around his torso, holding him in place while he slept. My anger died down as I realized that I was the one that made the move! And worse, I liked what I was doing! His warm skin felt great on my naked body; as a firebender, his being radiated a natural kind of heat as a symbol of the fire burning within him, and it contrasted with that of the cool flesh of a waterbender. It felt excellent, and I snuggled into him. His chest rose and fell to his even breathing, and I unintentionally rubbed my fingers up and down the smooth, hard plain.

The movement must have woken him up, because I immediately felt a shift from underneath me. He moved to sit up, taking me with him, and rubbed his eyes of sleepiness. Yawning, he laid back down and one hand found its way into my hair, stroking it lightly and tangling its fingers into my long, brown locks. I decided that now would be the best time to say something.

"Good morning." I said quietly, resting my chin on his chest and looking up at him through my long eyelashes.

He smiled and opened his eyes, the effect of the color making me want to faint. "Mm...morning..." He mumbled and brushed a stray strand of hair out of my face. I smiled and stretched my aching limbs, trying to relieve the stress. A loud crack rang out through the room and I winced; his bed was too comfortable for my muscles to handle, and it left me in a fit of extreme discomfort. He laughed and sat up, leaving me to lay alone on the big bed as he stood and stretched his own body into yoga-type positions.

I smiled and settled back into the bed on my stomach, covering myself so as to spare the awkwardness. I closed my eyes, listening to Zuko's deep breathing as he did his daily 'Rise-with-the-sun' routine. Suddenly, though, I heard his breath catch in his throat, and a moment later, I felt him slide into bed with me. Surprised, I started to say, "Zuko, what are you—" but was cut off as he forcibly flipped me around and rammed me into the headboard. I screeched and struggled, but he was too strong. Oh, Spirits, what was going on?!

"Shh! Katara, please go with it for now!" He whispered as he pressed his lips against my neck. My breath caught in my throat, and I tried to move, but he had both my arms pinned above my head on the headboard of the bed and was sitting on my stomach so I couldn't go anywhere. I felt a warm wetness take place on my neck, and I moaned as an initial reaction to him licking and sucking on my neck. I let out another helpless groan as he took both of my wrists into one hand and slid the other down my thigh. I shivered, remembering that I was completely naked and he could do anything to take advantage of me in that vulnerable state. A third moan escaped my lips as he clutched onto my thigh, and all coherent thoughts left my brain as I simply responded to what he was doing. My question as to why he was doing no more than holding me and kissing my neck was answered as I heard it. The light pitter-patter of feet scuffling down the hallway. Before I had time to react to this, Zuko's bedroom door came bursting open, two maids walking in.

I squealed, more out of surprise as Zuko bit down on my shoulder than out of surprise that the maids had intruded. One of them turned bright red and turned her face away while the other scratched the back of her neck in embarrassment. "Oh, eh...sorry for popping in unannounced...we just...needed to clean, and—"

Zuko, now standing beside the bed, cut her off from her pitiful excuse. "It's alright, just knock next time." Both women nodded and scurried out of the room. I simply stared at Zuko for a total of five minutes before he set to dressing in his peasant-tunic and combing his soft, black hair. Turning back to me, he had a questioning look on his handsome face. "What?"

"Why did you do...what you did?" I asked, not even sure how to phrase the question. Zuko smiled and glanced at the door, which was opened a crack.

"You heard what my father said. If he hears tell that I'm not doing...what I should be doing to you, he'll put you away forever. I heard the maids coming, so I improvised. Make sense?" I nodded and he smiled. "Good, now get dressed. We're going shopping."

I chuckled into my palm and stood, not really caring that I was naked anymore. "Shopping? I never figured you to be one for shopping." He blushed and averted his eyes from my nude body while I pulled on my robe. "I have to go back to my old room to get my clothes..." I started, but stopped when he held up a pile of clothing.

"My father ordered new clothing for you." He mumbled and tossed them toward me. I grabbed onto them and quickly slid into the bathroom.

Five minutes later, I exited the restroom. The outfit I was wearing bugged the hell out of me, but it was the most decent one I could've chosen to wear. Two pieces of deep red cloth covered each breast, criss-crossing over my chest and looping tightly around my ribcage to my back, tying at my neck and mid-back and exposing my stomach completely. Dark red sweatpants hung low on my hips, and a red beaded shawl cut down diagonally across my legs, tied at my waist. My long, wavy hair I did into one long braid that ran down the center of my back to my rump, and I topped the whole outfit off with a pair of red cloth flip-flops and golden bangles. When I entered Zuko's room, he was leaning against the opposite wall with his arms crossed and his eyes on the ground. He looked up at me and nearly fell over at my appearance. I giggled into my palm and walked over toward him. "Katara...wow...Agni, you look...wow..." He stuttered and I giggled even more, hooking my arm with his as we left his room.

"I'll take that as a compliment." I said and he blushed. We made our way through the palace, using the back door, which I thought was strange seeing as how royalty always entered and exited through the front door. I was about to ask, but my train of thought immediately derailed as we walked into the shopping center. Stores upon stores lined the streets, and I smiled in excitement as Zuko led me into one of the shops.

Zuko looked down at me intriguingly as I stared at the thousands of items this particular store was selling. "What's up with you? It's like you haven't ever seen a marketplace before." he chuckled, and I looked up at him with sparkling eyes. "Oh my gosh, you really haven't been to a marketplace before! How could you have gone through life without shopping? Not that I'm a big fan, but still...wow..."

I stared at him for a little while before finally speaking. "I grew up in the South Pole, remember? We didn't have shops there. We caught all of our own food and made all of our own clothes." I noticed he was about to say something again, but I cut him off before he could get anything out. "And before you say anything about how long I've been in the Fire Nation, I've never been outside the palace. Dancers have a finite amount of freedom; the times we're allowed out of the palace are few and far between."

He just looked forward for a small amount of time, then opened his mouth. "Harsh. I had no idea." Then, underneath his breath so he thought I couldn't hear him, he muttered, "We'll just have to change that, now won't we." Then, a little louder, "Let's look around, then. I'd be honored to help you shop for the first time." He bowed lowly and jokingly kissed my hand and I giggled into my other hand.

"Zuko, stand up! We're in public!" I pulled him to his feet and he shrugged, grabbing me by the waist and walking me around the store. I found out quickly it was a food store. "What is it exactly that we're shopping for?"

Zuko smiled and grabbed a basket, putting a couple of pears into the basket. "Food shopping." His smile grew when I asked him if the maids usually did the shopping. "That's what my father thinks they're doing, but I usually do the food shopping. They already do so much for me, I figure I can at least do something as easy as shopping in return. Now, come on; we're on a tight schedule." He said and picked up the pace, dropping a loaf of bread and some vegetables into the basket. When we went over to pay, the cashier didn't say anything about the Prince of the Fire Nation shopping in his restaurant, just simply rang up our items and took Zuko's money. "Send these directly to the palace, please." Zuko ordered and the cashier nodded before Zuko pulled me out of the store.

"What was that? Why didn't that man make a fuss about you being royalty or anything?" I asked.

"I'm a regular in this marketplace, and when I'm not in my royal robes, that means I'm just another civilian and wish to be treated as such. I've already discussed this with him, and he's become very used to it by now. Come on, I want to stop in here." He nodded his head over toward a clothing store and I followed him inside. My mouth practically fell off of my face at what I saw. Thousands and thousands of brightly colored clothes decorated this store, and, being a girl, I was mesmerized immediately. Zuko laughed at the look on my face and gestured to the men's section. "I'll be over there if you need me. Go ahead, look around. Tell me if you find anything you like." I nodded and he walked away, leaving me alone with all of these beautiful clothes.

Walking up to one of the racks, I spun it around until I found an outfit that interested me; it was a short-sleeved, yellow kimono that looked about mid-thigh length, with white trim. It had slits up the two sides that would make it easier to move around in, and I fell in love with it. I was brought out of my thoughts, however, when I felt someone nudge me from behind. I turned to find a woman standing there, maybe a year or two older than me. She smiled, and her dark brown eyes twinkled as she looked over my shoulder. "That's quite a catch you have there." She said, and I followed her gaze to find that she was talking about Zuko, who was leaning nonchalantly against one of the clothing racks listening to one of the sales-people rattle on about how great their clothing line was.

Blushing, I turned back to the woman and shook my head. "Oh, no, we're not—"

"Better watch out, cause a man that sexy is just asking to be snatched up. I can only imagine what he looks like under that tunic." The woman licked her lips and raised her eyebrows toward Zuko, and I blushed even deeper.

"Um, yeah..." I began, but stopped as a pale arm was slung over my shoulders. I turned to see Zuko flicking a silver coin between his fingers and giving the woman in front of me the once-over. The woman's face turned red and she bowed respectively at him. He bowed back, taking me down with him because of his arm that was still around my shoulders. When we stood back upright, the woman simply nodded in Zuko's direction, then winked at me and left.

"Who was that?" Zuko asked as we exited the store. He had bought me the kimono and now we were heading back toward the palace. I shrugged and continued to stare at the sights before me. Suddenly, something popped out at me. I got excited immediately and ran over to a sign that read 'Fire Days Festival Tonight! Come join the fun!'

"Oh, Zuko, can't we go, please? Please please please please please!" I turned over toward him with hopeful eyes and he sighed and nodded. I squealed with delight and jumped him, tackle-glomping him and effectively landing us on the ground with a SLAM! The whole market seemed to stop what they were doing and look over at us, me straddling Zuko's hips as he held my waist, laughing and staring into the other's eyes. Finally noticing the weird looks we were getting from people, I stood and pulled Zuko up with me. "Sorry..." I apologized, brushing an invisible layer of dirt off his tunic.

"Think nothing of it. Well, since we're going to the Fire Days Festival, we might as well get back to the palace and get changed." I nodded enthusiastically and followed him as he walked. I was so excited; this would be my first big party in my life. Growing up in the secluded South Pole, not many events like this happened. Now I'd get to dress up in cute clothes, dance with teenagers my own age, and drink sake! The closest thing we had to that in the South Pole was the annual penguin racing. Boring. '_At least you're making the best of this whole 'being captured by the Fire Nation' situation_,' commented my subconscious, rather sarcastically, might I add.

I was brought out of my thoughts, however, when an older woman walked up to me and Zuko with a smile and said, "Zuko! It's good to see you!"

Turning to Zuko, I was surprised to see he had a small smile on his face as well. "It's nice to see you too, Mrs. Han." He said. Then, putting a large hand on the small of my back and pulling me forward a little, he stated sweetly, "This is Katara. She's my...friend..." He cleverly avoided the fact that I was his concubine. I reached out and shook the woman's hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Han," I said, trying my hardest to hide my blush as Zuko pulled me closer toward himself.

Mrs. Han's smile broadened, and she squeezed my hand lightly. "The pleasure's all mine." Then, she leaned in close to me and whispered so that only I could hear, "You got lucky, sweetheart. He's the best you could pick." I blushed for the third time that day and only nodded before Mrs. Han straightened back up and turned to Zuko, giving me the excellent opportunity to get a quick look at her status. She was a slender woman; her cheeks were sunken in a tad and her bones were clearly visible in places. There were dark circles under her eyes, almost as if she hadn't slept in months, and her long black hair was laced with gray. When she smiled, little lines appeared on her forehead and around her dark brown eyes. Nonetheless, she still held a lot of beauty. After looking her up and down, I tuned back in to her conversation with Zuko. "...and I need your help! Oh, I'm never going to get any shopping done if he comes with me. Do you think you could..."

"Don't worry, Mrs. Han. I'd be happy to. You know how I feel about him, and you shouldn't worry about bothering me by asking. I'm sure Katara will like him, too." I snapped to attention and looked at Zuko; all he did was smile down at me and look back in the direction of Mrs. Han.

"Oh, thank you, Prince Zuko! What kind of payment do you desire for—"

"Mrs. Han, we've been over this. Call me Zuko. And I don't need payment. I'm doing it out of the goodness of my heart. Besides, it's hardly considered work if I enjoy it." Zuko took one of her small, bony hands with both of his larger ones and she smiled, crow's feet forming at the edges of her eyes. Without missing a beat, the woman put two fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly. Nearly three seconds later, a small boy was standing beside her with a smile equivalent to his mothers on his face.

"Hi, Zuko!" He said, running to hug the man he had just addressed. Zuko took the boy up in his arms and both laughed and hugged. I smiled, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mrs. Han gazing quizzically at me. She seemed to be searching for something as she stared me down, and I shivered and moved closer to Zuko, who was currently looking into the young boy's mouth.

"Agni, you're right, Kuon! Your tooth is loose!" He said and touched the tooth that I assumed was the loose one.

The boy, Kuon, smiled proudly. "See! I told ya!"

"Now, Kuon, you be nice for Uncle Zuko. Zuko, I'll only be about fifteen minutes. Thank you so much!" Mrs. Han bowed low, and Zuko returned the bow, making Kuon giggle as he was flipped upside down. Then, Mrs. Han turned to me and gave a slightly less-deep bow, and then she was gone. I turned to Zuko, who was smiling at me as he put Kuon back down on the ground.

"Hey, Kuon, how about you say hello to Katara. Katara, this is Kuon." Zuko gestured to the small boy and he bowed respectively at me.

Once he straightened back up, he said, "It's very nice to meet you, Katara." Kuon clasped his hands behind his back and blushed as I bowed my head toward him.

"It's nice to meet you, too, Kuon." He was silent for a while as he looked me up and down, and then he turned to Zuko, motioning him to bend down with his finger. Zuko did as told and knelt down on one knee to Kuon's height. The little boy whispered something in Zuko's ear and the man smiled, looking up at me.

"Yes, Kuon, she is very pretty. And guess what? You get to spend some time with Katara and I while your mother does her shopping! Doesn't that sound like fun?" Not waiting for an answer, Zuko picked Kuon up and swung him in the air; the whole time the boy was giggling and spreading his arms out as if he was flying. I simply watched with a blush tinting my cheeks. '_He's so sweet. I never knew Zuko was so good with children...he'll make a great father one day..._' I stiffened and mentally smacked myself. '_Why am I thinking like that?! Zuko and I are only friends! I mean, sure, I'm his concubine, but I'm not doing anything that a concubine would do, which means he doesn't like me like that...but...he just called me pretty..._' My eyes wandered over Zuko's body, his broad shoulders, his muscular arms...and chest, his washboard stomach, his perfect runner's legs. I looked back up at his face, which was currently turned upward to watch the screaming boy who was up in the air above him. Zuko's face was flawless, except for the nasty scar that covered his left eye. His jaw line was very defined, and his eyelashes were much longer than those of other men his age. On the subject of his eyes, the ember orbs glistened in the sunlight, his soft, raven-black hair swishing past them in the wind. '_Do I like him in that way? No...I couldn't...we're just friends! Two totally different people from two totally different worlds! We're so different! Blue and Orange! Yin and Yang! Water and Fire!_'

'_But isn't that what makes it hot? And besides, what do you get when you mix water and fire?_' Came 'Bad Katara's' response.

'_A big mass of rock? A puddle?_' I couldn't believe I was talking to myself, but I was intrigued by where my mind was going to take this.

'_No, no, no! You get steam!_'

I blinked. Then I swallowed; my throat was extremely dry all of the sudden. My tan face flushed and my hands grew sweaty. Did I love Zuko as more than a friend?

"Katara?" Zuko's voice sliced through my thoughts, and I looked up at him. His face practically shone with concern as he lifted a hand up and pressed the back of it against my cheek. "Katara, are you alright? You're burning up and your face is all red." I nodded and told him I was fine. "Would you like to go back to the palace? I can watch Kuon by myself."

"Zuko, I'm fine! Really, I am!" I turned to Kuon, who was on the ground beside Zuko with his face contorted in concern as well. "Hey, Kuon. How about we play a game? It's called...jump on Zuko!" I shouted and jumped up, wrapping my legs around Zuko's thin waist and my arms around his neck tightly. Kuon laughed out loud and joined in, wrapping himself around one of Zuko's legs and giggling as he stumbled but did not fall. I was surprised when instead he grabbed around my waist and lifted me up higher, throwing me over his shoulder.

"You really think you're something, don't you? Well, now what're you going to do?" Zuko asked as he swung me around, giving Kuon a ride as well. I screeched and yelled at him to put me down. "Put you down? Oh, not so high-and-mighty now, are we? What do you think, Kuon? Should I put her down?"

"Oh, you better say yes, Kuon, or you're next!" I shouted through laughter, and Kuon shook his head.

"If you can catch me!" He shouted and detached himself from Zuko's leg, darting in the opposite direction as Zuko tried to grab him.

"Kuon! Get back here! You don't want to meet the same fate as Katara, now, do you?" Zuko shouted as he ran after him, me still over his shoulder. I laughed loudly as I heard Kuon's scream as Zuko caught him. "Now I've got you!" He shouted and lifted the boy onto his other shoulder. I turned my head to see Kuon sitting on Zuko's shoulder with a huge smile on his face. "Well, Kuon, I guess we have to go find your mother, now." Kuon and I whined and Zuko started toward the food store that we had been in not twenty minutes ago. Halfway there he let me down (after I complained for the eleventh time that his pointy shoulder bone was hurting me). As we walked by a toy store, Kuon's eyes lit up and he asked if we could go inside. Zuko and I nodded and we all entered together, Kuon still sitting on Zuko's shoulder. "Go find something you like and I'll buy if for you, okay? But only one thing." Zuko said as Kuon ran through the store to find his favorite toy. I smiled at the young boy and looked toward Zuko.

"How old is he?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest and leaning against the wall.

Zuko's eyes seemed to glaze over as he watched Kuon scurry from shelf to shelf trying to select the perfect toy. "He's only five, yet he carries himself like an adult. His father died in the war, and Mrs. Han has had it extremely difficult lately because of that. Kuon has had to act like a little grown-up every since he was three, when his father died." He paused for a moment as I walked up to him, standing at his side and watching him watch Kuon. "I love that little boy with all my heart and would do anything for him. He deserves it." Zuko sighed and wrapped an arm around my back. I rested my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes, breathing in his scent and relaxing into his arms. We simply stayed like that for a small amount of time before we heard Kuon clear his throat. As we both looked down at him, he smiled sheepishly and held up a small wooden puppet.

"Uncle Zuko, can I have this one, please?" He pointed to it and Zuko nodded. "Oh, yay! Thank you, Zuko! Thank you!" Kuon jumped up and down and ran toward the cashier. We both laughed and followed slowly behind him, my head still on Zuko's shoulder and his arm still firmly around me. The cashier smiled at us, showing off her pearly-white teeth.

Zuko tossed her a couple of coins to pay for the puppet and her smile grew wider. What was it and women smiling around him? "Will that be all, Zuko?" Apparently, this woman also knew him. He must have been a regular in this marketplace to not have people bowing before him and kissing his feet like they should be. Zuko nodded. The cashier rang up the toy and gave it back to Kuon, who giggled and hugged it. Zuko and I smiled down at him. "You know, you two brought a beautiful boy into this world. Of course, it's no wonder he's so good-looking if he came from such a handsome father and gorgeous mother." The woman behind the counter said, and we blushed.

"Oh, no, this isn't our child. We're watching after him. Thank you, though." Zuko stated, and the woman smiled once more.

"You're very welcome! So, are you two..." She raised an eyebrow and looked from one of us to the other, insinuating what she meant. We both shook our heads stiffly and her smile lit up the room. "Oh...okay. The Fire Days Festival is tonight...are you going?" She turned to Zuko, and he glanced down at me before nodding his head. "Goodie! Would you like to go with me?"

"I'm sorry, but I already have a date. Thank you for asking, though. We have to be going, now. Come on, Kuon. It was nice talking to you, miss." Zuko stated blankly and forcibly shoved us out of the shop. Sighing with relief, he turned to me. "She's been trying to get me to go out with her since I started shopping here. It's getting rather annoying." I smiled and leaned into him more as we walked down the street toward the food store. Mrs. Han came out to greet us, and Kuon ran into his mother's arms.

"Mommy! Look what Zuko bought me!" He shouted and held out his puppet-man for his mother to see.

She smiled and turned to Zuko. "I thought we agreed that you wouldn't buy us anything. You don't need to..."

"I know, but I wanted to. Oh, and here," Zuko said as a woman carrying a big basket of roses walked by. He pulled out two flowers, one red and one white, and handed the red one to Mrs. Han. "This is for you. Be sure to put it in a vase so it doesn't wilt."

Mrs. Han put her hand to her mouth and gasped. "Zuko, it's beautiful! Thank you, but I couldn't..."

"It's on me. Please take it. You don't want to upset me, do you?" He protruded his bottom lip into a pout as emphasis.

She quickly took the rose in her delicate hand and touched each petal with her slender fingers. Tears sprang to her eyes as she looked back up at Zuko. "You know, you remind me of my husband..." A stray tear rolled down her cheek as she smiled. "Thank you, Zuko. Thank you so much." And with that, she grasped onto Kuon's hand and turned to walk away.

"Bye Zuko! Bye Katara!" Kuon shouted over his shoulder as his mother led him out of the marketplace. I simply stared at where Mrs. Han was standing mere moments ago. When she had cried, I felt as if I was going to cry as well. Zuko was so caring, so generous. It's hard to believe he came from the same person who killed thousands each year.

My eyes flicked to Zuko and caught him staring at me. A blush crept across my cheeks as he pulled me closer and we began walking back toward the palace. Before we entered the large temple, however, Zuko stopped me. He told me to close my eyes and hold out my hand, and I did as he told me. I felt him place something in my outstretched hands, something thin and wiry at the bottom but soft and smooth and larger at the top. Opening my eyes, I looked down to find a white rose placed into my palm. My fingers closed around it and I smiled, looking up to thank Zuko, but he was gone. Smiling to myself, I went to get ready for the Fire Days Festival.


	4. Chapter 4

**This is where we become a tad more modern...the song I chose for this chapter is one of my all time favorites, but I'm not gonna tell you what it is :) I'll only tell you that I do not own the song! This is also a really long chapter, so I hope you like it! My chapters are going to be a little longer than before from now on, because I tend to get more positive feedback that way. Enjoy chapter four!**

**STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY**

* * *

"Katara, come on! You're taking forever!" Zuko whined from outside the bathroom door. I giggled into my hand and continued brushing my hair into a ponytail. My outfit consisted of the following: the yellow kimono that Zuko bought me earlier in the day, black tights underneath that came down to mid-calf, white canvas sneakers, golden bangles on my wrists and ankles, and my hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. I dusted golden eyeshadow across my lids, and they shimmered in the light of the vanity mirror. Giving myself a final once-over, I nodded in approval and exited the room.

Zuko yet again almost fell at the sight of me. Although this time, I pretty much passed out at how he looked, too. His soft hair remained in its messy position, resting in front of his intense eyes. What threw me was his outfit. It wasn't his usual peasant-tunic or royal robes, but simply a sleeveless deep maroon tunic, much nicer than the one he had worn earlier, yet at the same time it held a rugged appearance. It was laced with an even darker maroon trim, opened slightly at the top to reveal only the top part of his perfect chest. His pants were simple red sweatpants, but somehow he made them work. His mouth currently hung wide open as his eyes made a trail up my figure, then back down again. Blushing, I crossed my arms over my chest and walked toward him. "What? Am I overdressed? I didn't really know what to wear since I've never been to one of these things before and—"

"You look great," he cut me off, grabbing me around the waist and pinning me to the nearest wall. At first I was caught a bit off guard, but when the surprise wore off, I began to get a little self-conscious.

"Zuko, get off me! What are you—" I began, but he placed a finger over my lips to silence me. He leaned in to my ear, and I shuddered as I felt his warm breath come in contact with my skin.

"Shh...do you hear that?" He asked, and I listened closely. What I heard made my blood chill; Zuko's father was walking down the hallways and talking to one of his generals. We weren't supposed to be out of our rooms after dark! Concubines weren't even allowed out of the palace, and here we were, trying to sneak off to a Fire Days Festival. Thinking quickly, I sprang into action, grabbing Zuko's hand and opening my mouth to allow his fingers swift entry. He gasped at my sudden movement and blushed as I slowly began to suck on his forefinger and middle finger. Getting the idea rather quickly, he let out his tongue and gave one long lick up the side of my ear, causing me to whimper quietly as I continually pulled on his two fingers with my mouth. Continuing on with our little show, he edged his knee in between my legs, which were now outspread, and let me rest on his leg by sitting on it. Letting his fingers out of my mouth, a long string of saliva connected between the two. I blushed as he put those fingers into his own mouth. '_He's pretty much saving my life by doing this, so it doesn't mean anything if I...oh, Spirits!_' I thought as Zuko swooped in and pressed his lips to mine, molding his mouth to fit mine perfectly. I leaned back against the wall and clutched it for support, my fingers clenching into fists as I felt one of his hands trail down my side and to my leg, bending it at the knee and hooking it around his slim hip. I moaned helplessly as I felt his tongue dart in between my open lips. Spirits, he tasted good! His other hand snaked its way into my hair and held me by the ponytail.

"...and I think that would be the best strategy to...Zuko? What are you still doing up?" I heard Ozi ask from behind Zuko. We both stopped what we were doing to look up at him, and Zuko brought his knee out from under me, ultimately making me slide to the floor. Ozi's eyes widened in realization, and he smiled wickedly. "Oh, I see you're busy. Well, get off to bed, then. Don't tire yourselves out too much. We have a war council meeting tomorrow morning at dawn." Ozi stated as he and the other general left to walk back down the hallway from which they came.

Both Zuko and I sighed with relief, and he held out a hand to help me up. "Well, that was disturbing." I said as I dusted off my kimono. Zuko nodded gruffly.

"Yeah...that was too close..." He said darkly, and then his mood seemed to brighten. "Alright, let's go. The festival will be starting any moment now."

I stared at him blankly with my mouth agape, then pointed one shaking finger at him. "We almost got caught sneaking out and you _still_ want to go?" He nodded, the look on his face as if I had suddenly sprouted three heads, and I snorted. "You're insane!"

He smiled and grabbed my hand, twirling me around and into his body. "Maybe, but that's not the reason why I sneak out. I do it because I can, now let's go." He said and practically dragged me out the back door.

Upon entering the streets, I forgot how angry I was at Zuko immediately. The whole place was decorated with lights and colors! It looked so magnificent! I was fascinated, like a child in a candy store, and Zuko laughed. "You really are too funny sometimes," he stated, grabbing onto my waist and pulling me down the street. "Come on, there's something I want you to see."

As we ran down the street, we passed amazing side-shows. A puppet show was taking place in a small booth off to the side of the toy store. A man was selling masks outside the clothing store. A magic show brought the crowd to their feet as the man on stage made four pillars of fire transform into doves. It was truly overwhelming. I heard snip-its of conversations as we passed by people on the street.

"...you're supposed to wear a mask to show your respect towards the spirits..."

"...I need a lovely young lady for my next trick..."

"...that'll be two silver coins, please..."

"...ah, young love..." an old woman said as we passed by her. She sat next to an older gentleman, most likely her husband, and I smiled when they hugged.

Zuko continued to take me along the street until we reached a place that made my heart practically leap out of my chest. It was a clearing, most likely town-center, where a water fountain lay rest in the middle, the cool, clear liquid spilling out the top and swirling around in a basin that connected to the ground. Candles were lit at equal intervals surrounding the clearing, and young lovers sat on benches and cuddled. Some were up and dancing to the music playing in the background; I couldn't tell where it was coming from, as if it was simply playing in my head, but it was there.

"Oh, Zuko! It's beautiful!" I ran over to the fountain and tentatively touched the water. Just being around my element made me feel more alive inside.

"I knew you'd like it," Zuko said from behind me, and I closed my eyes as the music continued to play. I knew the song, and I wanted to dance to it.

"Zuko," I began, turning to him. He was staring off into space, but when I spoke, his amber eyes flicked toward me and sparkled. "Zuko...let's do the Dance of the Koi Fish..." Zuko stiffened and looked at me as if I had suggested we run away into the wilderness together.

"Katara, I don't know. That's a pretty intricate dance...and also pretty racy. I don't know if—"

"Oh, please, Zuko? Everyone's dancing, so why don't we join in?" I clasped my hands together and placed them under my chin, sticking out my lower lip and widening my eyes. "Please! Pretty please with Jook on top?" Zuko made a face and I smiled; he hated Jook, but I didn't care. I'd mention it anyway just to get on his nerves. "Awe, come on, Zuko! For me?"

Finally, not being able to take anymore of my begging, Zuko complied, nodding and massaging the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb. I jumped up and down and grabbed his arm, dragging him to a more secluded part of the clearing. I waited until the music began anew and smiled at the song that was playing. The perfect intimate song for the perfect intimate dance.

We started side-by-side and separated, a mere arm's length apart. The music started, and I picked up the beat, rolling my shoulders back one-at-a-time to the beat of the drum. A smug smile crept onto my features as I threw in stomps every other drumbeat. My muscles stiffened as I raised my arms out in front of me, pulling them in and out at the same rate as my shoulders' rolling. Glancing over to Zuko, he simply watched my movements for a millisecond before starting his own movement, moving his hips in tight circles to the rhythm of the music and moving his hands up into the air as he bobbed his head. I stopped my motions as I was supposed to and crouched down, staring up at him as he continued to do his part of the dance.

_Everybody's looking for love – oh_

_Ain't that the reason you're in this club – oh_

_You ain't gonna find it dancing with him – No_

_I gotta better solution for you girl – oh_

In one swift move, Zuko was behind me, and I stood up slowly as his hands traced up my body and along my arms which were stretched above my head. Picking up the beat once more, my upper body from my waist up moved left as Zuko's moved right, and we looked at each other for a short moment before switching roles, me going right and him going left. I grabbed onto my own hips and moved them around in tight circles, first clockwise, then counterclockwise, as Zuko moved himself down to a crouching position.

_Just leave with me now, say the word and we'll go_

_I'll be your teacher; I'll show you the ropes_

_You'll see a side of love you've never known_

_I can see it going down, going down_

Arching backwards, I fell upon Zuko's shoulder. He stood, me still arched across his left shoulder, and flipped me off of him so I was behind him, but only for a second as he bent down again and I leap-frogged over him. Landing gracefully on my feet, I began to move again, twirling my body as if I was waterbending, and ran directly into Zuko as I should have. He grabbed my wrists and lifted me forcibly into the air, allowing me to hook my legs around his waist and secure them tightly at his lower back. He let go of my wrists and let me fall, and I caught myself with my palms on the cool pavement. Pushing off of him, I did a back-walkover and stood straight again. Before I knew it, Zuko was back with me again, this time behind me, with his left arm wrapped around my waist, hand splayed out across my stomach, and his right hand seeking out my right arm. Once he grasped onto it, he rose it into the air and snaked it around the back of his neck while my other hand gripped his left wrist. We moved together in harmony for a short while until, yet again, I pulled away, somersaulting from him and falling into a split onto the ground, all the while him backing away from me.

_In my head I see you all over me_

_In my head you fulfill my fantasy_

_In my head you'll be screamin' ohhhh_

_In my head it's going down_

_In my head it's going down_

_In my head, yeah..._

_In my head, oh yeah_

I loved this dance for many reasons, but the main reason was because it explained how different the elements can be. Each time I pushed away from him, he'd find a way to pull me back. It was exactly like how water and fire worked. Push and pull. Yin and Yang. Twi and La. Woman and man. The dance just fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.

Continuing on with the dance, I snapped up from my split and moved my hips and my chest in opposite circles, one hand on my stomach and the other on my head. Zuko grabbed the one on my head and spun me, effectively twirling me into his awaiting body. I jerked to the right then fell to the ground, my left hand supporting me as my legs spread out in front of me in between Zuko's legs. He jumped over my horizontal form, landing in front of my head and going down onto the ground as well, just as I stood up. He swung his legs around and scissored them together, pushing himself back up off the pavement in time to catch me as I fell backwards.

_Some dudes know all the right things to say – eh_

_When it comes down to it, it's all just game – yeah_

_Instead of talking, lemme demonstrate – yeah_

_Get down to business and skip foreplay – eh_

As he caught me, I stretched my arms in front of me, and he dropped me again, only to grab onto my outstretched hands. Taking both of them into one hand and grasping onto my legs with the other hand, he did a simple upward motion, effectively flipping me up and into his arms bridal-style. I smiled and reveled in his warmth for the small amount of time I had in his arms, before he threw my legs over my head and flipped me around his arm. Landing in a crouching position, I stood again.

_Just leave with me now, say the word and we'll go_

_I'll be your teacher; I'll show you the ropes_

_You'll see a side of love you've never known_

_I can see it going down, going down_

My heart leaped into my throat as I felt two strong arms wrap around me, and warm breath tickled my neck as Zuko pulled me into him. Breathing in, I grabbed onto his wrists and moved with him, even when he roughly flipped me around to have me face him. I turned my head to the side and closed my eyes as he grabbed onto my hand and stretched it above both of our heads, then dipped me backwards, if only for a second.

_In my head I see you all over me_

_In my head you fulfill my fantasy_

_In my head you'll be screamin' ohhhh_

_In my head it's going down_

_In my head it's going down_

_In my head_

Standing back upright, I was lost for a minute as our gazes connected, cobalt ice meeting an amber sunrise, and I realized for the first time that maybe we weren't so different after all. Suddenly remembering that we were still in the middle of the dance, I pushed away from him so that he was crouched on the ground, waiting to see what I was going to do.

_Break it down_

_Ayo...ayo...ayo_

_Ooh sing it to me baby in my head right now_

I popped my hips and chest a few times to the fast-paced beat, then whipped around with my hands in the air. I finished off the motion by jumping to a stop and bending my knees, placing my hands on my hips as if to say, "Your turn."

_Ayo...ayo...ayo_

_Ooh she'll be screamin' out when it all goes down!_

Zuko dropped down from his crouching position and splayed his legs out, toes facing toward the sky and one hand supporting his weight while the other rose up into the air above his head. Bringing his feet back under him, he swirled up from his position like a cork-screw and crossed his arms, like he was saying, "Take that."

_Just leave with me now, say the word and we'll go_

_I'll be your teacher; I'll show you the ropes_

_You'll see a side of love you've never known_

_I can see it going down, going down_

Swiftly, he came back to me and grabbed onto my head, running his fingers through my long ponytail as I grabbed onto his tunic. We moved perfectly against each other, as if in slow motion, and didn't even notice when people gathered around to watch us dance. The music went A Capella all of a sudden, nothing but the singer as we continued to move together as one. My head tilted back as his lips ran softly over the skin of my neck and downward, past the valley between my breasts and down my stomach until he reached my belly button. I grabbed onto his hair and yanked him quite roughly back up to me before pushing him away for the umpteenth time during the dance.

_In my head I see you all over me_

_In my head you fulfill my fantasy_

_In my head you'll be screamin' ohhhh_

_In my head it's going down_

_In my head it's going down_

The song picked up again, the drum coming back into play as I moved my arms in front of my face, bending them at the elbow so that my forearms were parallel to my body. I opened and closed my forearms as I stepped left, then right, to the beat of the drum. Zuko did the same thing opposite of me, then he reached out his hand and I took hold of it, twirling around until he was beside me, my left arm pressed up against his muscular chest.

_In my head I see you all over me_

_In my head you fulfill my fantasy_

_In my head you'll be screamin' ohhhh_

_In my head it's going down_

_In my head it's going down_

To end the dance, Zuko dipped me backward, much more sharply than the last dip we had done, and knelt down onto the ground. I arched my back over his knee and placed the back of one of my hands over my forehead. My other hand hooked around the back of his neck for support, and his hands laid precariously wherever they could to ensue support as well. His right was spread across my upper back and his left lay on my chest as his face hung inches away from my hollowed stomach. Our breathing was heavy and deep, sweat dripping down our faces. My lids were heavy; I was happy that the dance was done so now I could go home and sleep.

After a moment, Zuko stood me up and swiped a hand across my cheek, then gently grabbed onto the back of my head and leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on my nose. Smiling, I gladly let him slip his arm around my shoulders nonchalantly. Crossing my arms and turning toward the people who were watching us, Zuko and I both blushed; we hadn't realized they were there until now and waited for a reaction. Silence. Then, thunderous applause followed by cheering greeted our awaiting ears. As we walked past people, they bowed respectively toward Prince Zuko, and all the girls went wild when he bowed back equally as low. I smiled to myself when a teenage boy in the crowd winked at me, but Zuko simply tightened his grip on me and kept walking.

We walked down the streets and back to the palace, on the way stopping to buy masks in honor of the celebration. Zuko's was blue with white trimming the eyes, nose, mouth, and ears, and mine was a simple geisha mask. Continuing on our trek, we bought hot-rocks, some special kind of Fire Nation candy, and ate them on the way back home. '_Home, Katara? Do you really consider __this__ your home?_' my subconscious whispered. I told it to shut the hell up.

* * *

**I always pictured Zutara as a dancing couple, and finally got around to making the dream a reality. The song really wasn't necessary, I guess, but I liked how it fit so I decided to put it in. Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Man has it been loooooong! I mean _really_ long! And, quite frankly, I'll be happy if even two people read this Fic, cuz frankly I don't know if it's worth the wait! *starts cutting wrists* But, I guess that's up to my reviewers, now, isn't it? In all honestly, I'm not sure how I did on this chapter (it's been sitting on my computer for, like, ages and I'm just now realizing that I'm finished it). Review to tell me if you like it! There will be more chapters, but I'm not sure when exactly they'll be (putting school and summer jobs into perspective). LUV YOU ALL! ENJOY THE CHAPTER!**

**Standard Disclaimers Apply**

We walked into Zuko's room, well, more like we _sneaked_ into his room. Laughing, we both slipped into the room and closed the door. "Zuko, that was so much fun! I had no idea you were such a good dancer!" I exclaimed and twirled around the room, pretending that the music was still playing.

Zuko laughed and placed his mask down on top of his dresser, proceeding to comb out his now-knotty hair. "I don't usually dance, but my uncle thought it'd be a good idea to teach me. I even traveled to the land of the Sun Warriors and learned one called 'The Dancing Dragons'. Shockingly enough, I learned it from a bunch of dragons." He shrugged, putting down his comb and stripping off his tunic. "It's not like I didn't know you were a great dancer already, but that was incredible. You really have a talent for it, you know that?"

I smiled and nodded, continuing to twist and turn around in the room. He laughed once again as I lost my balance, falling forward and landing in his arms. Man, he was fast! Standing myself upright again, I blushed and scratched the back of my neck. "Ha...thanks..." I smiled sheepishly and set to stripping myself free of my clothing. Zuko went over to the window to shut it, but stopped as his gaze rested on me. I pulled off my kimono and tights and sneakers, leaving me in only my breast-bindings and my panties, and I pulled my hair out of its ponytail as well. It fell down to my rear and I shook it out, getting all of the tangles out by simply combing my fingers through it. I walked over to a bucket that held my bending water in it (secretly, so Fire Lord Ozi wouldn't take it away from me) and bent up a stream of water. I let it flow around me, swirling around my body and down over my skin. I just needed to get a little bending in before bedtime. Feeling refreshed, I was about to string the water back into the bucket when Zuko's hand reached out, his fingers tentatively tracing along the water, creating steam. The water glowed, outlining Zuko's face in light. I looked up at the scar on his left eye and shivered. "How did you get it?" I questioned, pointing to the scar.

He stiffened and recoiled his hand, placing it at his side. I could tell this was a tender subject for him, and was about to apologize when he started to speak. "I was thirteen. My father decided it was time to allow me into the war council, so one day I entered the planning room rather excitedly. One of the generals was talking about invading Ba Sing Se, and I cut in. Big mistake on my part. Since I had spoken out in the middle of war council and had been disrespectful toward my father, I was challenged to an Agni-Kai, a firebending duel. I did not want to fight my own father, so I forfeit. My father was not pleased, and he decided it'd be best to teach me a lesson...a permanent lesson..." He ended his story and tears sprang to my eyes.

"Z-Zuko...I'm so sorry...I didn't...how could he...oh, Spirits, I'm sorry!" I dropped my water and jumped him, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck. I kept whispering that I was sorry over and over again until Zuko pulled me off of him.

He held onto my shoulders and stared into my eyes before whispering, "Katara, it's not your fault. You don't need to apologize."

"I know, but still, I want to. I feel like if I apologize, it'll make up for the way your father treated you...how he still treats you..." I wiped my eyes and sniffled, and Zuko grabbed a hankie and held it up to my nose.

"Blow," he ordered, and I did so. Sighing, he stood, taking me with him, and placed the hankie in the garbage. "I think it's time for bed. I have war meetings all day tomorrow, so I have to get up early."

"But what will I do while you're away?" I asked as he walked me over to the bed.

"I don't know. What do you normally do?" I shrugged as he ran his fingers behind my back to find the pull of my breast-bindings. He quickly unwrapped them, keeping his eyes on mine as they fell to the floor. Reaching down, he pulled my panties off of me and turned, allowing me to slip under the covers. "How about you go and check in with your dance friends? Remember them? I'm sure they'll be glad to see you."

"Oh, please. All they'll do is ask me how good you are in bed." I snorted and he paused on his mission to slide into bed next to me, raising an eyebrow. "All of them fantasize about the Fire Lord's sexy son, Zuko. It's kind of funny, really, how they all drool over you. I make fun of them for it on more than one occasion."

"And you're saying you _don't_ fantasize about me?" He asked sarcastically as he pulled down the covers and sat onto the bed cross-legged. I blushed and turned away from him, and he froze. "_Do_ you fantasize about me?"

"It's getting late; we should go to sleep," I mumbled quietly, avoiding the subject. I heard Zuko chuckle under his breath as he settled onto his side of the bed. "Night, Zuko," I whispered.

"Mm...night, Katara," I heard him whisper as I sunk slowly into unconsciousness.

**000 **

I shot up out of bed about three hours later to the loud CRACK! of thunder. "Zuko!" I whimpered quietly as the lightning flashed by the window. I hated storms; I always have and always will. Back in the Water Tribe when a storm blew in, I'd crawl into bed with Sokka and have his loud snoring lull me to sleep. But Zuko didn't snore, and that made me cry for home.

Zuko's eyes flew open to the sound of my crying, and he propped himself up on his elbows so he could look over at me. "Katara? What is it? What's wrong?"

"Zuko!" I yelped and jumped onto him, shaking as I felt his arms wrap around my naked form.

"Shh...it's okay, Katara; it's only a storm. You're safe here, with me," he whispered into my ear and neck as he rocked me back and forth. Thunder sounded again and I screamed, digging my nails into Zuko's chest and leaving little crescent-shaped marks. He didn't seem to care, though, as he simply held me tighter.

"Don't go, Zuko, please don't go!" I cried into his shoulder, shaking my head like I was going insane.

Zuko pulled the covers up over us and crossed his legs so I could sit in his lap as I continued to tell him not to leave me. "Katara, I'm not going anywhere right now. But tomorrow morning I have war meetings. Don't worry, though, because by then the storm will be over and you'll be fine. And I'll be back by dusk so we can talk about things. You like talking, don't you?" He asked, trying to avert my attention from the storm. I nodded, but shrieked as another crack of thunder split through my ears. I cried myself to sleep with Zuko holding me and whispering sweet-nothings in my ear.

**000**

Morning came quickly; too quickly for my liking. At dawn, I felt a sudden shift from underneath me, and Zuko stood. I hadn't slept very well at all, and now I was full on awake. I sat up, rubbing my sleep-deprived eyes. "Zuko?" I asked groggily.

"Shh...go back to sleep, Katara," he said soothingly and put a hand on my shoulder, forcing me back down into the comfortable bed. I nodded and rolled over, closing my eyes and listening to the sound of him getting dressed. The next instant, he was kneeling behind me on the bed. He leaned over to my ear and brushed a stray strand of hair out of my face. "I'll be back later, Katara. Relax and get some rest. I've ordered the maids to bring you breakfast in an hour, so try to sleep a little bit for me, okay?" His soft voice was smooth as velvet on my skin, and I shivered. He kissed my ear, and I felt his warmth leave me as he exited the room.

I tried, oh how I tried, to get some sleep, but for some reason, without Zuko next to me, my eyes just would not close other than to blink. Letting out a frustrated sigh, I sat up and crossed my legs Indian-style, wrapping my arms around myself and staring at the closed door. "Stupid war meetings..." I mumbled, huffing my messy hair off of my face. Standing, I made my way to the restroom to get changed into some decent clothing. Then, as I was halfway to the adjoining bathroom, a maid walked in. '_Why does the universe hate me?_' I asked in my head as she took one look at my nude body and rolled her eyes, but did not turn away. She just continued to fold cream colored sheets.

"Busy night last night?" She asked as I made a frantic grab for something to cover me up. The closest thing was Zuko's long robe, and, without a second thought, I threw it on. The maid once again rolled her eyes as she set to opening the blinds. "Honestly, I have no idea what Fire Lord Ozi was thinking! Recruiting a young, under-qualified Water Tribe girl as a concubine, for royalty, no less! There are plenty of other professional, _Fire Nation_ women he could have chosen for the Prince, but he had to choose the foreigner," she mumbled under her breath, then turned to me. "Get dressed, dear. We're taking you to the spa."

A shocked expression played on my face as I shook my head. "Oh, no, you don't have to! I'm perfectly fine—"

"Certainly you don't think you'll be able to 'woo' the Prince looking like _that_, do you?" She snorted, gesturing to my calloused feet, dry skin, and messed up hair. Then, without waiting for me to respond, she grabbed my wrist and forcibly pulled me out of the room. "Nevermind, we'll get you cleaned up and _then_ you can get changed," she said hurriedly as we walked down the long hallway and into a strange room I had never noticed before. It had a huge, golden, in-ground tub in the center with golden fish spitting water into the bubbles below. On the right wall hung furry white towels and robes, and on the left wall various toiletries sat on a metal shelf. I gulped and turned to the maid, who only smiled evilly and stripped me of Zuko's robe, throwing it to the side and pushing me into the bath water. "This aught to clean you up really nicely," she cackled as she grabbed a bottle of shampoo and squirted the liquid into her hands.

Gulping again, I spoke up. "You really don't have to do that; I can do it myself!" My voice came out so much quieter than I expected, and I knew she hadn't heard me when she grabbed onto my scalp and started kneading the shampoo into my hair.

"Goodness, your hair is filthy. This'll bring out its natural caramel color," the maid stated loudly as she dunked me under the sudsy water. I was only under there for a millisecond until I felt her tug on my hair again, yanking me up out of the water. Finally realizing that I was a waterbender in her natural element, I reached out and bent a waterwhip into my hands. "And don't even try waterbending, or I'll just have to report you to Fire Lord Ozi and he'll take you away from your precious Zuko," she spat, and the waterwhip fell back into the tub.

Hours later, I was finally out of that death-trap the Fire Nation calls a tub and inside Zuko's room again. The maid had brought in help, and with three women holding me down, they managed to wax my legs, stomach, and arms. They also managed to pluck my eyebrows and whiten my teeth. I put up a half-hearted fight up until they tried to cut my hair, which in turn practically got one of them killed. They cut my toenails and fingernails, painting them with some odd liquid that smelled like alcohol and made my nails look like little pink rose petals. They used some kind of special shampoo that gave my hair less volume and curl, but made it thin, wavy, and light-colored. The most humiliating thing they did to me was the bikini wax. "You have to look good for your man, dear," one of the maids had said. I had no idea looking for your man could hurt so much.

I was brought out of my painful thoughts by the door handle twitching. Turning, I was greeted with the sight of a maid, a much younger one this time, holding an outfit for me to wear. "We-we had it custom made..." she said in a timid voice, handing me the clothes. "Prince Zuko will be sure to love it." I nodded my thanks and slipped into the bathroom to try it on.

A good fifteen minutes later I exited, and the maid smiled at me. "It suits you; you look beautiful." It was true, it was a very nice, though a little racy, outfit. One single band of dark blue cloth wrapped around my breasts and secured at my back, attached around my neck by two navy spaghetti straps. Attached like a curtain around the bottom of the band was a see-through piece of blue cloth that came down a little above my navel. I wore simple black, ankle-length tights on bottom, white canvas sneakers on my feet. My hair I wore down, the shampoo the maids had used making it seem much longer than it was before. Golden bangles decorated both wrists and ankles, and a sapphire-studded ring was placed on my left thumb. That is what had my attention at the moment, and I could feel the main in front of me smiling at me as I twisted it. "That's the ring of the concubine...all of our women wear them, though they are hand-made for each woman because each woman is different...it's what sets the concubines apart from the courtesans...which reminds me..." She held up an index finger, motioning me to follow her.

Walking down the hallway, we entered yet another room I had failed to notice in the several months I had been imprisoned in the palace. As we walked in, I immediately to note of the decor: it was a dark and dreary room; all of the curtains were closed, only one or two torches lit to make the lighting dim. I shivered as I looked over at a chair that had wrist restraints and ankle restraints built in. Was this a torture room?

The maid must have noticed my uneasy attitude because she turned to me and patted me on the shoulder. "There's nothing to worry about. We're not going to torture you..." She looked forward as a door opened and in walked a woman with tattoos everywhere. The maid gave me one final smile before exiting the room.

The woman with the tattoos walked toward me, took one look at me, and nodded. "Alright, come sit in this." She motioned toward the chair with the restraints and I flinched. She rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't be such a chicken. I won't tie you up if you promise to cooperate." I could only nod and move to sit in the chair as she pulled out something sharp from behind her back. It sparkled in the dim lighting. "Now, this won't be at all painful right now, but in a little while it'll start to burn; that means that it's working. Have you ever had a tattoo before." Flinching yet again, I shook my head no. The woman sighed and knelt beside me, taking the sharp object in one hand and a stencil in the other, she began to draw a ring of fire around my right bicep. She was right; it didn't hurt at all like I thought it would. Before I knew it, she was finished with her task, and I looked down at my arm. "That is the mark of the concubine. Don't worry about smudging it; it's permanently inked into your skin. Now, get out," she said through her teeth and forcibly shoved me out of the room.

Outside the young maid was waiting for me. Smiling, she took a look at my arm. "The mark of the concubine...excellent, now you can't run away..." I'm sure it came out more sinister than she meant, causing a shiver to run up my spine. "Now that we've fixed you up for the Prince, you are permitted to do whatever meets your fancy until the war meetings are over in an half an hour. Then, you must go back to Prince Zuko's room for the night. Understood?" I nodded, and without another word, the she left.

Sighing, I walked through the hallway and down the stairs to where the dancers' sleeping quarters were. To my utter surprise, they were all inside the room instead of at dance practice. 'Must be break time...dammit...' I cursed as one of them spotted me slipping into the room. I really did not want to face any of them, and was hoping they wouldn't be there when I entered.

"Agni! Katara, is that you?" one of them asked excitedly, wrapping me into a hug. The tattoo on my arm burned as her skin rubbed against it. The other girls ran to me, each giving me a hug and causing me more pain.

"I heard you got assigned to Prince Zuko! Is that true?" a young woman from the Northern Water Tribe asked, and I nodded. All of the girls squealed, though some remained quiet with jealousy. "Is he a god in bed? Cause that's what I heard!" the same girl stated, taking my hands into hers.

The other girls seemed to crowd around me, anticipating my answer. "Um..." I cleared my throat, "...well, uh...yes?" The girls shrieked with delight, each saying how lucky I was to have such a fox as Zuko. I mentally laughed at their reaction and what they were saying about Zuko, and suddenly found myself agreeing with everything they were saying.

"I heard from one of the maids that she spotted you and Zuko making out in the hallway last night! Is he a good kisser?" came the question from a Fire Nation dancer.

I smiled; one question I could answer truthfully. "Yes..." I blushed when they asked me what it was like. "Well..." clearing my throat yet again, I continued. "First, he's really sweet and respectful, but then it gets really hot, I mean both figuratively and literally. It feels like this giant fire is spreading through your entire body, igniting each body part and sending you off into a cloud of oblivion." My smile broadened as I looked around at the girls; each of them were closing their eyes, imagining what I had just told them through their own minds. "Then, if you get as far as open-mouth, you can feel your toes curl as his tongue strokes every inch of your mouth." The girls giggled, and I frowned slightly. "I'm serious! He's so intense it'll make your toes curl! In fact, my toes did curl. And all the while, his hands are touching you like you're some sort of treasure that'll bring good luck to him if he rubs it enough." Another round of giggles. "Oh, you guys are so immature! But seriously, it's like...something in your mind shuts off..."

"Oh really..." a deep voice said from the doorway, and everyone's eyes snapped open and glanced in the voice's direction. There stood Zuko, decked out in his peasant-tunic with his hair down, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the doorway. His amber eyes sparkled.

Blushing, I stood abruptly. "Zuko!" My blush deepened as my voice cracked. "Um...how long have you been standing there?"

He laughed and pushed himself off of the door frame. "Long enough. Come on; lights out is in ten." I nodded and followed him, blushing redder when the girls behind me began to 'ooo' like I was in trouble for something.

We walked down the hallway in silence. '_I can't believe he was standing there the entire time! He must think I'm such a perv or something!_' I scolded in my mind. I also couldn't believe that I had wasted that much time simply talking to my friends. It had been at least an hour since my beautifying session, which meant that Zuko had been waiting for me for at least thirty minutes. Swallowing hard, I set my eyes on him. He stared straight ahead, a smile playing on his lips.

"I didn't know you thought I was a good kisser..." The smugness could not be missed in his voice as he licked his lips and turned his head to me. "Do I really make your toes curl?"

Stopping suddenly in the middle of the hallway, I looked down. He stopped a few paces ahead of me and turned completely toward me. I rubbed my arm up and down, but stopped when my fingers came in contact with the tattoo. It really hurt now! I hissed through my teeth and then looked back up into his face. "I didn't know you were listening..."

"Would it have changed your opinion if you did know I was listening?" Thinking it over for a minute, I shook my head, making him smirk. "I'm glad I can be of some use to you, then." And then, we were walking again. Far apart from each other. Much too far apart for my liking. He wasn't even close enough for me to feel his warmth or smell his delicious scent! '_Did I just __seriously think that?_' I thought as we rounded a corner. My heart froze at who was standing there: Azula, Zuko's evil younger sister, and her two friends, Ty Lee and Mai.

Azula's perfectly groomed eyebrows raised at us, then her piercing red eyes shot to the open space between us. "Careful, Zuzu. I wouldn't want to tell Father that you've been slipping on your...duties..." she said in her snake-like voice. Ty Lee snickered into her palm while Mai simply stared straight ahead with a disgusted look on her face.

And, just like that, Zuko was beside me, his arm around my waist and hand resting on my hip. "Of course you'd want to tell Father, Azula; you excel at getting me into trouble with him. And don't call me Zuzu." Zuko's voice was just as calm as Azula's, as if they were simply striking up a random conversation instead of talking about concubines and the Fire Lord. I felt Zuko's grip tightened as he hissed out this next part: "And don't you worry about my 'duties'; they're none of your business."

She laughed and picked at her razor-sharp nails. "Calm down, brother, I was only kidding. Better watch out, though, or you'll end up with a dagger in your throat." She gestured over to Mai, who was currently clenching her robes. Zuko gulped.

"We'll be leaving now..." he stated calmly, moving forward and pulling me with him. Azula's hand shot out and stopped us both in our hasty retreat. I looked up and noticed she was smiling again. She looked like the devil.

She moved close to Zuko's ear and whispered something I couldn't quite make out, but by the look on Zuko's face and the way his skin paled, I had a feeling I did not want to know. Then, all of a sudden, he turned to me, giving me a quick kiss on the nose, then up my cheek and to my temple. I closed my eyes just in time when his lips came down softly on my lid. But, oddly enough, he didn't kiss my lips as I felt his warmth leave my my face. Opening my eyes, I saw him turn to Azula with an aggravated expression playing on his features. "There, happy now?"

"For now...go on back to your room...and remember what I told you." She smiled and gave us a mock salute as we passed her. I glanced back at Mai in time to see her give me a major death glare. Turning forward again, I didn't look back until we were safely inside Zuko's room.

I looked at him curiously as he began searching the room frantically for nothing in particular. "What was that all about?" I asked, keeping my eyes glued to him.

He turned and sighed, then continued with looking around the room. "My father's sent spies to...well, 'check on us'." He made air quotes around 'check on us' so I knew what he meant.

My mouth flew open. "Wow...your dad really goes all out on these things, doesn't he?"

"Once he's proven right about something, he doesn't let it go. He's rather stubborn...kind of like you." He nodded in my direction, and I put my hands on my hips.

"I am not stubborn!"

"Are too! Like right now how you won't admit you're stubborn! And before when you wouldn't admit I was right about you saying I was a good kisser!"

"I never said that!"

"Oh really..." he asked, his eyes shining naughtily in the torch-light. My mind flashed back to when he had said those two words not minutes ago, after he heard me describe his kiss. In two steps he was in front of me, his lips inches from mine. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't this what made your toes curl?" he asked smugly, his pale lips descending on mine. I felt a flutter in my stomach as his tongue forcibly parted my lips, entering my mouth full-on when I gasped at the unexpected intrusion. His hands grasped onto my back and hoisted me up, allowing me to hook one of my legs around his waist. I used his sharp hip bone as leverage to boost me up higher. His lips left mine and trailed down my neck to my collarbone, his teeth nicking it as he continued his journey downward. I moaned in response, my arms curling around his neck and my hands grabbing onto his hair for support. He smiled against my skin and pressed me against the closest wall. "And how about this? Does this make your mind shut off?" He dragged his teeth against the fabric covering my chest, and I tightened my grip on his head, forcing him further onto my body. My golden bangles clanged together. I suddenly felt him grasp the inside of my left knee, bending it and hooking it around his shoulder. "My my, Katara, you're awfully flexible. Why don't I use that to my advantage?" My eyes shot open as his lips pressed to my covered stomach, and another moan escaped my lips.

"Zuko..." I murmured, and the sly smile never left his face as his lips came back up to mine. They hovered there for a moment, making me want to arch forward to taste his sweetness again, and then he was talking.

"So how was that? Still wanna deny my abilities?" His lips gently pressed down on mine to allow me a minute to respond. Gaining up false courage, I tightened the muscles in my legs, bringing him closer still. His gasp of surprise gave me more courage, and I slipped my tongue into his mouth, deepening the otherwise chaste kiss. He growled in the back of his throat and spoke against my lips, making my tongue vibrate. "Give me an answer, or..." He finished his sentence with action, bringing his hand down in between my legs, his thumb pressing down on my heat through my tights. Squealing, I pulled away and whipped my head back, moaning loudly. How was he so good at this? He knew exactly what I liked: a dominant man who wasn't afraid to stand up to me, but still listened to me if I was uncomfortable. Someone who would kiss me fiercely, but otherwise be the most gentle person if I just wanted a hug.

Right now, though, I was more focused on getting my way, and my way was not admitting that I said he was good at kissing, so I desperately tried to pull away from his skilled fingers, but he wouldn't let me budge until I gave him an answer. To make his point clearer, he began to stroke me lightly through the cloth that hid my nudity from him, and my moan rang out through the large room. I couldn't take it anymore! If he continued to do this, I would surely... "Okay! You're a great kisser!"

"And..." He wasn't giving up on this, and I growled at him. His smile turned wicked and he stroked faster and harder, making me unintentionally move with the motion of his fingers.

"And—gah! And I meant every word I said back there when I was talking to the g—ha! Girls! I was st—stubborn to say otherwise! Oh, Spirits, Zuko!" I cried as he finally removed his hands from my heating core. I sighed in relief; any longer and I would've exploded!

Zuko let me go, moving my leg off his shoulder and removing my hands from him, which were still clutching his hair at the scalp. "Thank you; that's all I ask," he said as I slid to the floor, trying to catch my breath. Smiling, Zuko turned on his heal and walked toward the bed, unmaking it for me.

Once my heartbeat was back at its regular tempo, I glared at him. "You sneaky little jerkbender! You planned that, didn't you!" He only smiled and nodded as he stripped himself of his shirt, leaving him in only sweatpants. "I can't believe you—" but I could not finish as I caught a glimpse of his sculpted body in the fire's light. It glowed with the faintest bit of sweat, probably a result of our heated make-out session. His skin was stretched tightly over his taut muscles, making me practically drool. His hands came up to comb through his shaggy hair, giving him a certain playboy look.

Licking my lips, I walked slowly toward him. Since he played around with me like I was a little doll, it only seemed fair I got to play with him a little. His eyes were sparkling like he had just won a million gold coins by making me admit my defeat, and I was determined to wipe that smug little smirk off his face. As I came to the edge of the bed across from him, I stopped. Slowly, every so slowly, I reached behind my head and untied the strings at my neck. My top fell off my chest and down to my waist, my bindings the only thing covering my breasts.

My lips curled into an evil smile, and his mouth dropped when I reached for the pull of my bindings. "You're turn..." I whispered seductively.

**Gasp! Cliffhanger! What will happen! You don't know, Zuko doesn't know, even I don't know! Please review! Tell me what you liked, disliked (nicely cuz of my low self-esteem) and anything I should change! Thank you to all my readers again!**


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